Nigeria's sesame rejection run: what the EU's 50% Salmonella checks now demand of a Lagos lot
By Sandra Nansbuga
Nigeria's sesame rejection run: what the EU's 50% Salmonella checks now demand of a Lagos lot
Half of Nigerian sesame consignments sent to the EU are selected for identity and physical checks for Salmonella, and each one must arrive with an official Nigerian certificate and laboratory results for that consignment. The EU recorded 60 sesame rejections between 1 January and 26 October 2026, and Nigeria led the list with 31, ahead of India's 14 and Sudan's 13, almost all of them for Salmonella.
What does the EU's 50% check rate actually cover?
Sesamum seeds from Nigeria, under CN code 1207 40 90, sit in Annex II to Regulation (EU) 2019/1793, with Salmonella as the hazard and a 50% frequency of identity and physical checks, according to the consolidated text of 18 February 2026. Article 8 applies that figure as an overall frequency for every product under the entry, and Article 7 sends such consignments through a border control post. Release for free circulation depends on a finalised Common Health Entry Document under Article 4.
Where does the Nigerian sesame record actually fail?
Each rejection is logged individually, with the notifying country, the laboratory result and what happened to the consignment, which is usually treatment or diversion rather than destruction. The laboratory findings record Salmonella presence in 25 g of seed, the criterion the regulation sets. The record is microbiological, not documentary.
What must be finished before the container is booked?
Three elements travel with an Annex II consignment, each depending on work done at origin.
| Element | Issued by | What it must carry | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sampling results | Nigerian authority lab, ISO/IEC 17025 | Absence of Salmonella in 25 g; the lot's code | Accompanies the lot |
| Official certificate | Nigeria's competent authority, Annex IV model | Same code, signature, official stamp | Four months from issue |
| Identification code | Applied at bagging (Article 9) | On every bag or packaging unit (Article 9) | Before dispatch |
The sequencing is the trap. Results must relate to that consignment and bear its identification code (Article 10(4)); the laboratory must be ISO/IEC 17025 accredited (Article 10(5)); and the certificate is valid for four months from issue, never longer than six months from the laboratory results (Article 11(2)(j)). Article 11(2)(h) requires the certificate before the consignment leaves the control of the competent authorities in the issuing country. Book before sampling and the four month window starts from an issue date you cannot predict.
What this means for buyers
For exporters and the buyers pricing their lots, the 50% rate makes compliance a pre-booking cost, not a post-landing problem. NEPC's 2025 review, published 24 February 2026, put non-oil exports at US$6.1 billion, with sesame seeds among the drivers of the Dutch trade. A buyer will ask for the identification code and the laboratory date before fixing a price, because Article 11(2)(h) requires the certificate before the consignment leaves the competent authority's control. NEPC lists NAFDAC as the designated competent authority under Codex Alimentarius, issuing the health certificate, and NAQS as the body issuing the phytosanitary certificate. Sampling days belong in the loading schedule, the code on every bag from bagging, the four month window in the shipment deadline. Exporters weighing a move from Lagos should read our Onne and Calabar note, and the row over Nigeria's hibiscus rejections shows the same enforcement tension at origin.
FAQ
Q: Which Nigerian sesame products face the 50% check rate?
A: Annex II lists sesamum seeds from Nigeria under CN 1207 40 90, with Salmonella as the hazard and a 50% frequency of identity and physical checks; two prepared-product codes sit in the same row.
Q: How long does the official certificate stay valid?
A: No more than four months from the date of issue, and never longer than six months from the date of the laboratory results, under Article 11(2)(j) of Regulation (EU) 2019/1793.
Q: Does a clean laboratory result stop a container being selected?
A: No. The 50% frequency applies to consignments as presented at the border control post; the certificate and results are conditions of entry, not exemptions from checking.
Sources: EU recorded 60 sesame rejections between 1 January and 26 October 2026 | Regulation (EU) 2019/1793 | The log of individual notifications | NEPC